Release your inner artist with a Paint Your Guts Out workshop taking place this morning. See http://www.paintyourgutsout.net/ for more info. 

In Santa Monica…

haleARTS S P A C E invites you to the opening reception of the “LA Astray” group show featuring works by Pat Blake, Charles Christopher, and Matthew Warren.

Originally from New York, Charles Christopher is an L.A. based photographer whose work conveys a sense of wonder and mystery while capturing the underlying spirit that exists largely unseen around us. 

Born and raised in Northern California, Pat Blake lives and works in Los Angeles. Years ago, Pat Blake began exploring photography using black and white film.

Matthew Warren recycles Hollywood’s iconography in the form of movie posters, by creating a series of drawings in 3B pencil which reflect the essence of chosen films selected for their relevance in pop culture.

On view: September 19 – October 1

What: Opening reception
Where: haleARTS S P A C E, 2443 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405
When: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Phone: 310-314-8038
Website: www.halearts.com

In West LA…

JAUS hosts a reception tonight titled “In Search of Turrell.” Guest curator Carl Berg, director of Edward Cella Art + Architecture, has assembled a group exhibition that has traveled to the Netherlands and back.

See image: Cecilia Miniucchi My Dinner with J.T., 2014 Pigment print on glossy paper 24 x 32 inches

Since the Hague dunes have always held a special meaning for Berg, a Dutch American, he organized an art trip to the Netherlands and invited artists to participate in an exhibition in Rotterdam. These artists agreed to take a day trek along the Hague dunes, which led to James Turrell’s Celestial Vault.

“The show at JAUS will feature all new works based around this journey,” said Irie. “It will be mainly about all the artists who have had the pleasure to visit Holland through Carl’s support and encouragement.”

What: Opening reception
Where: Jaus, 11851 La Grange Ave., LA 90025
When: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Phone: 424.248.0781
Website: www.jausart.com

In Culver City…

ARCANA: BOOKS ON THE ARTS celebrates the publication of Pamela Littky – Vacancy.

Vacancy is a multifaceted portrait of two towns that are as much rural desert communities as they are states of mind.

While driving between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Pamela Littky was exposed to the small towns at either edge of Death Valley – the legendary region of the Mojave Desert that hosts the hottest and driest climate in the US. Anyone who has ever been there can tell you that there is little else on either side except for long, empty stretches of straight-line desert highway.

What: Book signing and reception
Where: ARCANA: BOOKS ON THE ARTS, 8675 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90232
When: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Website: http://www.arcanabooks.com/

In West LA…take in some theatre.

Director/Producer John Stark presents “Oneill’s Ghosts” by Jovanka Bach, a guest production at the Odyssey Theatre.

Award winning playwright Jovanka Bach’s play, O’NEILL’S GHOSTS is a riveting drama about the tormented relationship between Eugene O’Neill and his eldest son, and the psychological ghosts that haunt both. O’Neill’s Ghosts brings to life playwright Eugene O’Neill’s troubled relationship with his son and the haunting memories of his family that affected him and his writings. Taking place in 1950, the play also explores his relationship with his wife/manager Carlotta Monterey O’Neill, and, through his imagination, sends him into the past and his memories while writing his last play. O’Neill’s Ghosts is directed and produced by JOHN STARK.

What: Performance
Where: Odyssey Theatre, 2055 Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90064
When: Thursdays through Saturday nights at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm
Phone: (310) 477-2055
Website: http://www.johnstarkproductions.com